Kaleena Smith's Ontario Christian wins CIF Open Division finals to put a halt to Grace Knox led Etiwanda's back-to-back title dreams

With a young core of sophomore Kaleena Smith, freshman Sydney Douglas, and freshman Tati Griffin, Ontario Christian won the CIF Southern Section Open Division title for the very first time on Saturday. They did so against defending champions Etiwanda, led by five-star LSU signee Grace Knox, who fell short in her quest for back-to-back championships.

It was a close one, though, with Ontario Christian surviving a late-game surge from the Etiwanda Eagles with the two McDonald's All-Americans, Grace Knox and Aliyahna Morris, leading the way. However, the Knights held strong and staved off the late-game surge from the former champions.

Tati Griffin led the Lady Knights with a double-double, 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Kaleena Smith had 13 points and eight assists. Freshman center Sydney Douglas, who rounds out the Knights' big three, had 14 points and nine rebounds in the championship game.

As for Etiwanda, Morris led the Eagles with 20 points, four rebounds, and one assist, while Grace Knox finished the game with nine points and seven rebounds. Other players who played well for the Eagles included Arynn Finley (14 points) and Shaena Brew (10 assists).

It was Kaleena Smith who won the game for Ontario Christian, sinking three crucial free throws late in the game to seal the victory. Etiwanda led early in the game, with a 13-4 lead in the first four minutes. However, the Lady Knights fought back and even entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead, which was soon erased after a late Eagles rally.

Kaleena Smith, Tati Griffin speak about their championship victory

After the game, Kaleena Smith spoke with the LA Times about their big championship win, which was a back-and-forth attritional battle between two of the top teams in the country.

“It wasn’t pretty but we earned it more than it was given to us,” she said. "I practice (my free throws) all the time. It’s second nature and God was with me.”

Meanwhile, Tati Griffin, who shone the brightest in front of 11,625 fans at the Toyota Center, spoke about the work that she puts in and said (as per Sports Illustrated):

“I always remain confident in myself. I work hard every day. I take no days off, even when I’m sick.”

While Ontario Christian has won the Open Division title, its season is not yet over as the Lady Knights, as well as the Etiwanda Eagles, have both advanced to the CIF State Open Division playoffs.